relationships w/ adcoms

Question

Hi folks,
This may be a bit silly but -
Reading some older threads, it seems that some of you have cultivated relationships with folks in the admissions offices at various schools...I haven't really done that yet. I've called and asked a few misc questions here and there but nothing significant...I haven't had any questions so far that I haven't gotten answers to either from the Forum or from a few alumni I know...

So now I'm wondering: Am I missing out? Is that something I should be doing? I don't want to unnecessarily bug the adm office with random questions but would hate to miss out on something that could help my application....

Thoughts on this?
Feel free to tell me I'm unnecessarily worrying

thanks,
ac.

thanks, ac.

dabots · Answer

i wouldn't even try this

catgmat · Answer

Maybe you should visit the schools and get in touch with school representatives at MBA events or with alumni in your country, instead of bothering Adcom with questions. From my point of view, you have to show your interest in the school before applying...cheers

terry12 · Answer

You're unnecessarily worrying

Seriously, I'd just work on getting answers from wherever you can find 'em. As you mentioned, alumni and gmatclub are excellent resources. If you have a legitimate question that can only be answered by the Adcom, go ahead and ask. But attempts to ingratiate yourself with Adcom members could backfire and end up annoying them more than anything.

riverripper · Answer

Unless you have been best friends with an adcom for years nothing you do will have any affect on them...even then they probably will recuse themselves from reviewing your application. The only people I heard that relationships with people in the admissions offices was the significant others of students who apply later on...someone from Tuck pretty much told me this helped get them in. I guess its tough if you spent two years at the school already and know everyone for them to ding you if you are even remotely qualified...for one thing selling fit isnt much of an issue.

isa · Answer

thanks all for the thoughts

I appreciate your confirming that this is something that happens rarely and that can hugely backfire. I always love knowing that i was overly concerned over nothing!! :-D

thanks again, ac.

solaris1 · Answer

hmm..I did see a couple of cuties at the last admissions office I visited. Oh wait, I see that's not what you meant by "relationships with adcoms."

kryzak · Answer

LOL solaris!

but yeah, I really think there's no real question you MUST ask the adcoms, and thus no real need to have a relationship with them. If you had a great conversation with one of them and they give you their card, then definitely send them an email thanking them for the infosession/event and pop a few well thought out questions (not ones you can find on the school website) if you have any. Otherwise, don't force it. Students, alums, ambassadors, and GMAT Club people will be able to answer almost all your questions much better than adcoms can. And the ones that only adcoms know, they most likely won't answer. If they do, it's probably already on the web.

isa · Answer

Thanks for the insight! I'm so glad I was on the right track about how to go about this! :wink:

isa · Answer

Haha!! You could always try demonstrating your math knowledge with: "i want to be your derivative so I can be tangent to your curves" (One of my old roomate's favorite lines was something like that) :lol: